Best Garden Showers

• The most important facts in brief
• Garden showers are used to refresh and cleanse the body. They are particularly practical near a pool or sauna.
• They have either a water connection for a garden hose, a tank or a water pipe to the house.
• To switch flexibly between hot and cold water, models with solar elements for heating the tank contents are a good choice.
• Premium models come with additional features such as foot showers and removable hand showers.

Showering outdoors – a summer luxury

As soon as it gets warmer, many people are drawn outdoors. Sport is simply more fun in the fresh air – just like relaxing afterwards. If you have your own garden, you can set up a paddling pool there in the hot season or swim in a permanently installed pool. Especially in midsummer, the desire to cool down arises on such occasions – preferably without having to go indoors for it. This is the glorious moment of garden showers, which can be considered an advanced form of the garden hose: After all, they provide cool water on hot summer days, cleanse the body after outdoor exercise and rid it of dirt before jumping into the pool or going back into the house.

But garden showers are not only excellent as an addition to the paddling pool or pool. Home holidaymakers who prefer their own sauna to the water also benefit from them. They first relax indoors and then enjoy the final cooling down outside. To use an inexpensive mobile garden shower, you usually don’t need more than an ordinary connection for garden hoses on the wall of the house. In addition, there is every conceivable luxury: higher-quality outdoor showers, for example, are permanently mounted and use the domestic water pipes to supply both cold and hot water.

Garden showers: From simple to sophisticated

Depending on space, equipment requirements and price expectations, the garden hose with shower, the solar shower, the camping shower or the garden shower with hot water connection are more suitable for the home garden.

Cold water from the garden hose with shower head
The lowest price segment includes simple garden showers that consist only of a garden hose and a shower head. Such models have the advantage of mobility, for example thanks to a lawn stand. However, they are at best something for hardy people, because of course only cold water comes out of the tap. That is why they are only really refreshing in summer – otherwise their water temperature of eight to twelve degrees Celsius is too low for most water rats.

Battery-operated models provide a remedy: they heat water in their own tank to higher temperatures. Such outdoor showers that provide hot water are very flexible to use and cover the mid-range. Their price ranges from 100 to 300 euros, depending on the equipment.

The solar shower and its special features

If you want to do something good for the environment, go for solar showers with a tank. These are not versions with solar cells that produce electricity and then heat the water electrically. Rather, these showers have dark tanks. The water stored in them is heated by solar radiation. As a rule, however, the tank in such models is not too large so that the water gets warm quickly. Their standard sizes range from 20 to 35 litres. In addition, special caution applies here: if the tank is left in the blazing sun for a long time to heat up, there is a risk of scalding. This can be reduced by adding cold water and carefully feeling the water temperature.

The advantages of a camping shower

So-called camping showers with tanks are somewhat cheaper than solar showers. They are usually light and mobile, dark plastic bags that heat up the water when exposed to sunlight and release it through an outlet on the underside. They are therefore popular with campers and visitors to music festivals. Camping showers share other advantages with solar showers: Neither an electrical connection nor a permanent water supply is required. On the other hand, there is also the risk of getting burnt.

The garden shower with hot water connection

Only premium garden showers that dock onto the cold and hot water supply of the house offer permanent showering pleasure in all situations. The house’s central heating system permanently supplies them with water at the perfect temperature. The shower itself often has single- or two-handed taps for temperature selection.

In terms of price, there are differences in the look and material of the showers. There are lawn showers in every conceivable design to choose from: Some are made of oiled wood, others of stainless steel, different types of plastic or aluminium. Especially with permanently installed models, the design also plays a role. Each material requires a certain type of care. Be sure to follow the recommendations of the manufacturer or installer.

Particularly high-quality models with privacy screens made of stone, metal or a floor drain are also available, either as commercial products or in the form of custom-made products by installers. If required, they find their place near the house wall, for example on the terrace. Likewise, they can be flexibly placed in the garden in the form of cubicles. Of course, these showers have their price and their installation is correspondingly complex. But everyone in the household benefits from them, no matter when and at what temperature they are supposed to refresh or warm up.

What matters when buying

When buying a garden shower, there are a number of purchase criteria to consider. For example, the tank size, the type and versatility of the shower head, the presence of a foot shower and a temperature selection lever, the material and thus the durability of the shower as well as the purchase price all play a role.

Height and tank size

Depending on the size of the family, the purchase is decided by the height and adjustability of the shower. In addition, the tank size is decisive. After all, there should be enough water for everyone when splashing around. The following guidelines apply: a 20-litre tank is enough for one person taking a thorough shower. A tank with 35 litres can easily be shared by two people. If you want to use more water at once for more than two people, you either need a more expensive model with a larger tank or go for a fixed installation.

Type and versatility of the shower head

The shower head is one of the most important aspects when buying a garden shower. While cheaper models often have a fixed head, in more valuable products it can be swivelled and adjusted in height, the latter usually between 1.50 and 2.20 metres. Thanks to such functions, all family members or guests can adjust the shower to their respective needs.

Foot shower or foot wash tap and temperature selector lever

Some garden showers also have a foot shower or foot wash tap. If they are positioned next to stone surfaces or similar paths, these do not get dirty as quickly because the bare soles of the feet are free of lawn or pool dirt after the shower. By the way, such taps are also excellent for filling watering cans or water buckets, which makes gardening easier.

If the shower is only to provide cold water, a model with a simple tap is sufficient. A mixer tap with two controls is only available on showers with hot and cold water control.

Material

Plan on spending 50 to 100 euros on an accompanying floor element made of wood or stone to prevent mud from forming on the lawn. If you want to save money in this respect, there are, for example, showers with an integrated lawn spike for a firm footing.

Purchase price

Depending on your budget, you may want to forego one or the other element in order to be able to invest in a durable material or – in the case of solar models – in a larger water tank. Basically, you should budget at least 100 to 300 euros for a good garden shower. Anything above that is in the luxury category; for prices below that, on the other hand, you can expect disappointment more often than not.

Tips for placement and storage

Next, it is best to consider what accessories might be missing – such as a long garden hose for the connection or a two-way distributor for the tap. Otherwise, you may end up with the shower running but no water for the sprinkler and no flowers growing.

Can I build a garden shower myself?

There is a particularly inexpensive option to build a garden shower yourself: simply hang a garden hose with or without a shower head or connected sprinkler on a medium-high branch of a tree in the garden and turn on the tap – the DIY shower is ready.

The ideal location

Garden showers look good in different places, depending on the model and type of use. If you use it after a visit to the basement sauna, for example, a place near the basement stairs is suitable. If the paddling pool has a fixed location in summer, the shower should be placed there and also close to a path or stone terrace. In this way, you can avoid getting dirty from too much grass and always refresh yourself quickly after the activity in question.

The solar shower is a special case because it needs a lot of sunlight to heat the water in the tank. Central to the choice of installation site are the main times of day when the shower is in use. For frequent afternoon rounds in the pool, for example, it should be in the sun in the late morning or at least at midday. Then the water will be properly warm later in the day. Also consider how your tank is filled: With a hose connection, the location is only limited by the length of the hose in question. If the shower has a tank that has to be filled by hand, it should be placed as far away as possible from the nearest water tap. Otherwise, filling it up quickly becomes a burden, especially if the tank is large.

How do I winterise the garden shower?

Before winter, first clean the shower carefully. This is where you benefit from removable components, such as shower heads, tanks and foot showers. Another important aspect is the water supply. The pipes should be completely empty before the frost season to avoid damage to the lines, and a drainage valve on the tap will help. If you want to use the shower in winter, it is essential to ensure that the pipes are well insulated.